Misplaced Affections
by Succinct Disquisition
Summary: "You are just a sick, dirty, creepy, perverted old man. Ugh!" The young ninja shouted. They did not understand. Wu never expected them to. During this misunderstanding would be a great time for an old man to look back at the many wonderful relationships he had over the years. Those experiences are what made him what he was today. A collection of oneshots centered around Wu's life.
1. WuGarmadon

Wu/Garmadon

In Misplaced Feelings, I will be exploring various events that may have taken place in Wu's life. This is a therapy story but it should be uplifting rather than angsty. This is a short story about Wu and Garmadon's relationship as children.

* * *

"You are just a sick, dirty, creepy, perverted old man. Ugh!" The fiery young ninja shouted before sliding the new monetary door into place with a loud clack.

Kai did not understand. Wu never expected him to. The young man was just too inexperienced to fathom what transpired throughout his sensei's life to lead up to this moment. After all, that was all that life was in essence. It was a vast collection of moments that were only permitted to be enjoyed one at a time and in their own time. If Wu did have control over the flow of time, he would certainly not want to relive this particular instant again.

He he was not hurt by his pupil's words. The elderly ninja knew from experience that the young man had just taken the situation out of context and allowed his inferno of emotions burn through all of his other senses. It was nothing personal, that was just Kai's way. The way of the fire ninja. When the lad burned up the last of his fumes of anger, they would talk and Kai would allow his sensei to explain the terrible miscommunication. For now, Wu would just allow the boy his temper. It was healthy for the young ninja to burn off his excess rage at times.

Instead, Wu turned to the tame fire that heated his stout glazed clay tea kettle. The flames flickered and fought against one another knowing that dominance meant life for them. Nothing like the warriors Wu allied himself with over the years. The wisps of smoke they cast off twirled and intertwined before they dissipated into the air above. Their playful dance reminded the veteran ninja of the way people interacted. They would be so close dancing about each other then somehow they seemed to fade beyond perception. Wu hoped the young ninja would understand his position. The gray old man had thought they understood and accepted him already but it seemed this was just one wisp of his smoke that had fade beyond their recognition.

Wu had always found it strange how everyone had their own perception of the world. The thought that no one else thought what he thought or felt what he was feeling had never quite sunk in as a boy. How his brother could deliberately disobey their father baffled him as a child.

Memories of the incident with the snake that led to the horrid change in Garmadon were always close at hand but they were not the only examples of the boys' varying personalities. Wu could remember a time when their father had let the two boys leave their secluded home to visit Jumonukai village for a festival. It was the first time the two boys had ever been permitted to leave without an escort.

Garmadon on had just entered his teenage years and still was not showing quite as many signs of his internal struggle with the venom. The day they went to the festival was one of many that Wu was happy to spend with his older brother how the boy truly was. Those days seemed too few but only because they were so cherished by the younger sibling.

The boys dressed in a fine pair of robes their father had made special for each of them and set out into the approaching chill of dusk. As they came upon the village, darkness had shrouded the forest around them so the strung up lights, savory smells, and alluring music served as a beacon to draw the two young men in.

Wu recalled bouncing about the festive place with pent up excitement while his brother cooly sauntered after him taking in the surroundings in a calm way that would make their father proud. Much of the night was a blur but a couple of events were so well ingrained within his mind that if the man closed his eyes, he could imagine them taking place at anytime.

In his youth, Wu pranced up to an old game of toss set up with some stacked tin cups just waiting to be knocked over. The younger brother pleaded of Garmadon to allow him to play. Wu knew the pained expression he sported for his brother would do well in his favor. Garmadon caved, acquiescing to his brother's whiney demands and paid the vendor with a careless shrug to his shoulders.

A few tossed balls later. "Again! Again! I almost knocked them down that time brother." Wu tugged at Gardomadon's sleeve vehemently drawing the older boy's dark eyes to the game.

"No." Wu deflated at his brother's rejection. "If you could not knock them down the first time, you will not knock them down."

Wu did not give up so easily however. "Pleeeaaase! I never had a boomerang before. Please give me another shot Garmadon."

The older boy gave the game another appraisal wit narrowed eyes and a tight lipped stare, proof that he was really thinking it over. With a coin slapped into the round bellied vendor's hand, the older boy made a declaration. "I'll win the boomerang for ya Wu." It always amazed Wu to see his brother so focused. He wore an expression just like during training. His eyes were so focused the young blond was left wondering why the cups did not tumble down by his sheer intent. Back then, Wu's thirteen ear old brother looked decades ahead of him. If ever there was something that he could not do, Garmadon would get it done. Just like the target. Before the ball even left the boy's hand, the tin cups were certainly going down.

Except they did not. Garmadon tossed the projectile with the same certainty as anything else he would do but when the ball struck the stack of cups, they stood strong, casting the ball aside indifferently. Dark eyes widened for just a moment before narrowing venomously. "This game is fixed." He observed with a snarl.

The crooked vendor just shrugged off the brother's anger flippantly. "If you didn't hit the cups kid, you didn't hit the cups."

"But I did hit the cups, clear as day. You RIGGED the game!" The dark haired boy exploded, outraged.

The middle aged man stooped to look the boys in the eye repeating, " If you didn't hit the cups, you didn't hit the cups."

Wu cast wary glances at the curious onlookers and tugged at the fine dark silk f his brother's sleeve. "Garmadon, let's just get out of here."

No his older brother said in a voice that brooked no argument. He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a third coin holding it up for the vendor to see before flicking it at him. "I'm taking another shot."

The game owner smiled sadistically making the younger brother panic. "But-"

"I'm taking another shot." Garmadon declared with that same serious expression on his face but colder. It made the blond boy shiver but nod back at him none the less.

Garmadon grabbed another ball and prepared to throw but for a long time just looked at the target with those narrowed eyes. Wu gulped nervously because now people were watching them. Ever since the snake bite Garmadon had never been the same. Sometimes he got uncontrollably mad. Sometimes he did bad things.

This time, the unpredictable youth moved through the motions of a perfect throw so quickly it was over in an instant. The ball rocketed faster than the onlookers could see and collided with the tins with a loud CRACK! The top cup was flung into the air to someplace far far away but the other two held strong to the stump they were placed on with the ball imbedded into a perfectly round dent just between them. Garmadon brought his arm back to his side calmly.

"The game is rigged." The declaration brought a bunch of irritated prattle from other patrons of the festival who had also apparently tried their hand at the game. All Wu could do was stare at his incredibly amazing older brother. If ever there was something Wu could not do,Garmadon got it done.


	2. WuMisakoGarmadon

Wu/Garmadon/Misako

In Misplaced Affections, I will be exploring various events that may have taken place in Wu's life. This is a therapy story but it should be uplifting rather than angsty. This one is about two teenaged boys trying to woo the girl of their fancy.

* * *

Wu snorted and shook his head with good humor at the old worn image in his mind of his big brother. There was not a time in the old man's life that he had not admired the older boy. Garmadon had always been so strong, so charismatic, if he had not been bitten at all then there would have been nothing left wanted in the man. Wu could never blame Misako for choosing his brother. There really was a lot in Garmadon that not many others were able to see.

Wu and Misako had always been able to see all the greatness in Garmadon. If Misako had not been able to see the good in the man then they would have never had such a great time competing for her favor. Misako had always been the loveliest young lady, especially surrounded by the pale pink of cherry blossoms. There was a time when they were young and she wore a light blue yukata with a mesmerizing mix of darker swirls spread all over it.

Neither Wu nor Garmadon could take their eyes off of her the whole day. She put all flowers to shame with her beauty. She was so coy just two months after the brothers had met her. At that time she would never do a thing Garmadon suggested. It was just too much for a little lady.

"No, I couldn't possibly- how about we sit, just there." A porcelain finger thrust out to identify a basic wooden bench on the bank of the lake settled peacefully beneath the spreading branches of an old oak tree. The smile she tilted towards the boys was a small one that bespoke bashfulness but only served to make both young men more excited to be sitting with her.

"Of course!" Wu practically jumped to hook his arm with the young woman's to escort her to her desired lounge.

Garmadon was not far behind in taking the girl's other hand. "Definitely." His dark eyes caught his brothers with a challenge spelled out within them.

They sat together with a brother glued to either side of Misako, both trying to look as though they belonged with her. She did not seem to notice this though as she settled her summery dress. "It is so nice to spend time with the both of you. It sure is a long way from the village. I'm not sure I could make it that far all by myself." She smoothed handfuls of long dark hair in front of her and stared intently at the locks as though she was worried to look at her new friends.

Garmadon smirked handsomely at her. "Oh I bet you could make it anywhere." He said grabbing one of her hands. He pushed the sleeve partway up her arm and made her mock flex. "Just look at all that hidden muscle Wu. Nothing like mine." Garmadon pulled up his dark sleeve and flexed his well worked muscles, grinning when she made a coo of astonishment at his build.

Wu crossed his arms with a sour expression but when Misako looked back at him, he gave her a terse smile that made Garmadon smirk at his victory. Thankfully, Misako never noticed their antics. She was much more interested in how different their lives were to her own at the time. "Tell me more about swimming. Have you ever done it in a place like this before?" Her glimmering fresh green eyes stared longingly at the pool of water surrounded by trees all in bloom and youthful spring grass. Wu had always marveled at the girl's spirit. She adored adventure but would never disobey her parents and step out of line. She was like him.

Garmadon was not like them however. He stood quickly and with purpose. "I told you, it's easy. If you'd just take off that dress we could show you." He implored earnestly with a welcoming hand outstretched to her making delicate young Misako blush.

"Garmadon." Wu warned.

The dark haired boy frowned, the gradually growing red starburst in his eyes turned to the lake longingly. They both always did love to swim. "How about- we tie the bottom of your skirts up?"

Misako gasped and Wu gave his brother a playful punch on the arm saying, "That would never work."

Garmadon looked up at the sky for a moment in thought. His pupils constricted allowing his younger brother to see all the red lines that were slowly taking over the sixteen year old's eyes. He turned back to their young lady friend with a genuine smile that made Wu forget all about the venom for the moment. "I'll give you my trousers. At least that way, you can get your feet wet." Wu's eye bulged at the audacity of the idea but Misako merely pursed her lips in thought. "We won't peek at you, I swear it. Just- trust me."

Misako turned to Wu looking distressed but gave a small sigh. "Alright. Since you swear not to peek."

Garmadon clapped his hands together with an edge of finality. "Great! You won't regret it Misako. Swimming is great."

Misako gave a start, in the process of standing with Wu. "Swimming? I thought I was only getting my feet wet." Her large eyes looked more or less panicked.

Wu and Garmadon began stripping their outer garments, preparing for the swim. "You are." The blond teen explained to calm her. "Garmadon can be over zealous at times."

"Garmadon!" She shrieked at Wu before covering her reddening face with her hands. "You are **both** taking your clothes off!"

Garmadon gave a bark of a laugh. "Well we can't very well get into the water in our clothes can we? Besides-" he tossed his clothes to land on Misako's head, "you're wearing my clothes so you can get into the water, remember?"

Misako fumed at the older boy's goofy smile when she gathered the stray garments in her arms. Wu did not understand why she was so concerned. They were both still in their small clothes. She stomped her foot angrily. "Just turn around and no peeking!" The boys complied, looking instead to the beauty of the lake and after what felt like and excruciatingly long wait Misako beckoned them to look at her. "How is it?"

Wu turned back and drank in the new look with vigor. Misako's feminine curves did a lot of justice to the cotton robes the young men took to wearing in the summer. The black Garmadon had always favored made a lovely contrast to her creamy skin rather than the stark difference in how sickly Garmadon often appeared. The collar hung loosely on her dainty shoulders but she had Garmadon's belt firmly fastened high on her waist to keep the top decently secured to her slight framed.

"Woah." Wu was not sure which boy the sound came from. Maybe it was both of them. But he knew that if Garmadon had said it, he fully agreed with the assessment.

Misako frowned worriedly. "What's the matter? It looks silly, doesn't it?" She fussed, smoothing the material over her slim hips.

"No." Garmadon started. Wu picked up the explanation before his brother could muster control of his gaping mouth again. "You look as wonderful as always, Miss Misako." The younger brother assured her.

The young woman smiled shyly. "Oh, stop acting silly you two. Are you going to bring me into the water or not?" She asked expectantly.

Both boys jumped at that. "Of course!" Wu called out excitedly, taking her hand in his own and leading her to the water with his brother on her other side. When they got to the bank, the trio slowed their stride. "Be careful where you step. The ground is slick where it's wet." He explained readily.

Garmadon grabbed her other hand eagerly, declaring. "She isn't father's china Wu. She doesn't have to go that slowly." Her lead her with long strides into the cool water.

"Ooh!" She paused where her ankles were just submerged. Her dark eyes were wide as they stared down at the water in wonder. She pushed her long hair back behind her and merely stood, staring down into the pond.

"Misako?" Wu tried and she shushed him.

"There are fish near my toes!" She whispered excitedly. Her smile was captivating and held Wu absolutely still until she giggled and looked up at him. "I have never seen living fish like this before. They're so beautiful!"

Wu gave a start when his brother spoke, having forgotten he was there entirely. "They certainly do inspire beauty." He said getting another glorious smile from the beautiful young woman. "Come on," The older brother beckoned. "The fish get bigger the deeper the water is."

Misako held her hands to her chest and took a half step backwards. "Whaaa!" She screeched as she slipped and landed on her bottom in the shallow water with a loud splash.

"Misako!" Both boy's yelled, instantly drawn to the spluttering girl's side.

"Mhmhmhmhmhahahahaha!" Garmadon laughed. He had tried to stifle his laughter but Wu had to admit the girl's face was novel.

"Are you alright Misako?" Wu asked offering her his hand which she took gratefully and pulled- "Woah!" He landed face down next to her as she laughed along with his brother. Wu snarled and knocked Garmadon's feet from beneath him leaving all three teenagers sprawled out in the shallows of the pond.

"Don't see any fish now." Garmadon grumbled but began to laugh again as Misako snorted at his comment as she giggled. "What was that?" Garmadon splashed the girl playfully and began snorting like a pig making the two younger kids laugh even harder.

"Don't- don't tell my father!" Misako beseeched the two as she calmed herself finally.

"Never," Garmadon assured readily.

Wu helped the young woman stand and steady herself. "I suppose I may as well learn how to swim, now that I am all wet." She pointed out with a blush.

Garmadon put a hand on her small shoulder with a wide grin. "Don't worry, you have a great teacher. I taught Wu everything he knows about swimming and look at him- he hasn't drowned yet."

The girl laughed loudly again with her hands braced on Wu's shoulders for support and the young man could not stifle his smile. As beautiful as Misako was all dressed up normally, she was much much prettier all wet and snorting with laughter. He just knew she would be the woman he wed.


	3. WuGarmadonMisakoLloyd

Wu/Garmadon/Misako/Lloyd

Lloyd's lineage is questionable in my mind. He is super young to be Misako's son and he does not look like either of his parents when they were younger. He looks like Wu... So Misako, Anything you would like to tell the rest of us? Well this is my take on their family and there may be a conception difficulties trigger, abuse trigger, and an unnamed character death. So... This one is more bitter sweet.

* * *

Wu smiled sadly down into his tea. He had always thought Misako would be his, right up until her wedding with Garmadon. He had not been jealous though. He really was happy for the two of them. Especially because it seemed when Misako was around, Garmadon was that much more himself. It seemed the beautiful vibrant woman was the salve to sooth the bite of the Great Devourer. Now, the wise man felt naive for believing the venom could be fought that easily. It was almost like he was in his own honeymoon phase for the first few years of his brother's marriage.

It could not last however. Wu had been traveling the far west, getting to know the dragons living there better since he still did not know too much about them even after all these years. It was such a relief when he finally arrived at Garmadon's home at the base of Mount Creation.

The air of the sparse thicket was laden with the pungent smell of rich soil. The trail to his brother's house was well worn and pointed straight to the unlit building in the dead of night. Wu could have missed the quiet refuge had it not been for the dim reflection of the crescent moon glinting off of the otherwise darkened windows. Though Garmadon's house was nothing like the monastery, it still felt very much like home to his younger brother.

The dirt path made a gradual progression into a stone walkway that led straight up to the wooden planks at the stoop of the front door. Wu let out a content sigh as he mounted the steps to the tranquil building and did not hesitate in entering the sleeping dwelling.

The traveling man would always be welcome here and if he stayed outside all night like he had shortly after the house had been built, the couple who owned the place would surely give him an earful when they found out. Wu would not be making that mistake again.

The tightly woven mats carpeting the floors made a pleasant reprieve for sore feet, exhausted from walking miles on hard packed ground. The tired man trudged quietly through the familiar halls until a narrow beam of dim flickering light peeked up at him from the gap between the master bedroom door and the hard wood floor. Wu raised a hand to knock when a whimper forestalled the movement.

"Garmadon- you're- hurting me-" Misako gasped haltingly leaving the younger brother frozen outside with wide eyes. Garmadon... Hurting Misako?

"Be quiet woman." Garmadon growled venomously. "If you'd stopped disobeying me, this wouldn't be happening still. Now, give me a son!" Wu paled at the command. He could hear the two... He wanted to stop this but it was not his place. Misako had chosen the man and there was nothing Wu could do.

The woman cried out in obvious pain and the eavesdropper could clearly hear the sound of a hand striking bare flesh. "I said stop it! You're doing this on purpose and I will _not_ allow you to deny me a child any longer. I must have an heir!"

Misako sobbed quietly at her husband's cruel words.

Wu backed away from the door slowly, feeling the heavy weight of guilt in each step. He closed his eyes and tried not to hear any more of the couple's private matters remembering how the two had calmly confided their difficulties in conceiving a child to him nearly a year before. Garmadon had taken the matter in stride then but now... Wu could hear the venom's taint staining his brother's words. Garmadon was getting worse and Misako was left, taking the brunt of his temper.

Wu turned away and strode right back out of the house feeling the burn of tears threatening his eyes. He dropped his traveling bag on the raised wooden deck and sat on the steps leading up to the door. He could have stayed behind but it would not have helped. They were fighting a losing battle and the high price it cost them was his brother. Wu tried to remember a Garmadon without the venom but he feared the memories might eventually leave him for good.

"Wu- it is good you're back. I fear I may have hurt Misako." Said man did not turn to look as his brother approached from the house some time later. He sounded repentant but Garmadon had gotten more and more manipulative throughout the years.

When the blond did not respond, the dark haired man drew nearer and sat next to his brother. Garmadon took a shaky breath before continuing. "She is sleeping now. I'm not sure I'm good for her, brother. I can no longer control myself. I don't want to lose her but... I fear it may be for the best." A small breathy sob slipped from the older man's mouth and Wu finally looked over at his brother.

Garmadon was in a comfortable dark robe with his shoulders hunched despondently and dark bangs obscuring his red eyes. The strong man flinched intermittently at what Wu assumed was the pain he confessed to when he had to fight tooth and nail for control over his own mind. The man looked broken. Garmadon had always wanted a son to teach in the ways of the ninja but not if it meant hurting the woman he loved.

Wu had no idea what to say. Their separation would be both a blessing and a curse for the blond man but he could not decide what the proper response to his brother's lament might be. The two sat in silence until Garmadon finally spoke again. "Take her back to the monastery. There is somewhere I must go. Somewhere no one can accompany me." Glowing red eyes did not waver as they looked out to the peaceful woodland surrounding the isolated house.

Wu had to look away to answer, for fear that his sibling might read something in his eyes the traveler did not want him to see. "Garmadon, you cannot just leave your wife. I know it is unfair to ask of you, but you must shoulder your responsibilities. Actions must always be accounted for. I'm sorry brother. She is yours to care for, not my responsibility."

Clack! Garmadon struck the boards making up their seat, causing the wood to splinter. "Do you think I don't know that?" He growled out loudly. "There will be a time in which I can no longer love my wife and if I stay here, it will come on the morrow." He bit out with an angry tremor in his voice.

Wu remained silent. He could not possibly take Misako away. Perhaps if he just remained mute on the matter, Garmadon would give up, go to sleep, and forget the whole conversation by dawn.

As though he knew his brother's thoughts, Garmadon grumbled lowly, "I must leave tonight brother. Either you will do this for me, call it payment for retrieving that sword of yours if you like, or Misako will be left on her own until I am able to come back to her. It is your choice. You could leave before morning as well if you don't intend to accompany her to the monastery."

Nothing could be said to dissuade the elder brother. Garmadon departed that night, without so much as a word to his wife that he was leaving.

A tearful Misako rose in the morning like the sun. Her beauty was mangled by dark bruises that spotted her body and dried blood cracking at her neck and on her robe. It was all Wu could do to tell the woman of her husband's intent. She cleaned herself up while her brother in law packed for the journey. Together they set off for the monastery, not saying a word about the man they both loved so dearly.

They had no idea it would be three long years before they next saw Garmadon. It seemed like a miracle, when he showed up one day at the stream feeding into 'their lake' while Wu and Misako were doing laundry.

A scream was Wu's only warning before he was knocked off his feet by a ragged looking man who ran by, scooping Misako off her feet and hoisting her high. Panic was quickly replaced by laughter as the rugged man with long messy dark hair spun his wife around gleefully. His skin had not been so tan in years. If not for his red eyes, Wu would have thought his brother was cured that day.

* * *

For decades, Garmadon would live a good life with his wife. He never again mentioned children to Wu. Occasionally, Garmadon would have to leave for a time when the venom became too much for him to fight on his own. The occurrence was sporadic at first but grew more frequent as the years ticked by.

Everytime the elder brother would return, his skin was of a deeper hue and he got more paranoid and evasive about where he disappeared to. His loved ones knew it for what it was. Dark magic.

Wu and Misako managed to follow him once, not all the way but at least into an old grave yard. There, Garmadon conjured a path into a dark world they knew only the venom inflicted man could traverse.

After his brother disappeared into the void, Wu took Misako back into the town's inn. They took a room together for the first time because neither wanted to sleep after seeing the terrible things Garmadon had to endure to stay with them for a short time more. Both cried that night. For the first time in ages, they actually feared losing the tainted man.

Wu woke in the morning to Misako already dressed in her stout traveling garb and bustling around packing with a roll hanging from her mouth that she would occasionally take a bite of. Wu smiled until the graying woman tossed his bags onto his chest with a vacant grin. He forced himself to smile back knowing they would be each others' only support in this. Garmadon had enough to deal with on his own without worrying about their feelings For his gradual demise.

The pair departed with strained good spirits. The journey back to Misako's house was a quiet one, filled with solemn contemplation until they spent a night in the last village before their destination. They rented two rooms as was usual for them and Wu could remember the weariness he felt that night. All he had wanted to do was roll up into his bedding and let the weightless dreamworld whisk him away.

The aged man was never really sure if he ever fell asleep that night. It all started with a crash of shattering glass in the room next to his that made him give a start. Wu sighed and laid his head back down, knowing Misako's room was on the other side. He relaxed back on his pallet and calmed his nerves. Accidents happened.

A pained whine made Wu glance back towards the crash where he could now hear a woman's agonized sobs. Wu grabbed his walking stick and crept out into the hallway on high alert. He paused at the door for just a moment, wary of intruding on a private affair, but another pronounced whine from the woman convinced him to throw open the door and defeat her enemy.

Wu gaped. He had seen battlefields soaked in less blood than the woman's bed sheets. She had her legs pulled up to her chest with a baby's head hanging down from her feminine parts limply. She groaned shrilly through gritted teeth as the child inched out a little more.

Wu dropped his weapon in a hurry and rushed to the site of the action. He had never seen anything like this before but the way the baby's head hung down concerned him. The mother barely acknowledged his existence as Wu gently cupped the head of the child and lifted it for closer inspection. The lifeless face was already purple and well on its way to turning blue. This could not be how infants were supposed to look coming out.

The warrior's wrinkled and calloused fingers slipped over the slick body as both shoulders appeared from the woman's stretched orifice. Then, he saw it. It looked like a cuff around the child's neck and he could see the other side of the ribbon still caught up in the desperately panting mother. Wu swallowed against the bile rising up in his chest and tried slipping a finger between the baby and the tube that was choking it. The thing would not budge. He glanced around in a panic, looking for something to cut the cord with in the rented room. Nothing. Another cry from the woman prefaced the fleshy rope loosening it's hold a bit and Wu turned back to the child, determined to get the thing off of it.

"Wu?" A familiar voice questioned from the hall.

"Misako- it- I think it's dead!" He could hear the panic in his own voice as he beckoned his friend over.

Now, with a bit of slack, Wu managed to pull the cord away from the babe's neck and slip it from around the child's head. Wu could feel a familiar heat burning at his eyes when he noticed the baby was still not breathing. His hands shook beneath the sticky slippery head. It was so small, not even the size of his palm, and there was nothing he could do.

Misako put a hand on his shoulder and another on the woman's lower belly. "You are almost there, when I give the signal, you push with all you've got, okay?" The older woman told the would be mother. The young woman whined but nodded and when the baby seemed to be slipping out, Misako gave the command. "Push!"

Under Misako's guidance, the child finally slipped out and the mother collapsed back as her work was finally over. Wu cradled the still born in trembling hands as his sister in law moved to the other woman's side to hold her hand and speak kind soothing words to the girl. She really was just a child in her own right. She was a sliver of a woman with light tangled hair matted against her reddened face.

The seasoned ninja felt his jaw quiver as he looked on at the motionless body in his grasp. It would have been a boy, he noted. He retracted a bit from the women, as far as the child's leash would allow and he scooped up a discarded strip of cloth to wipe the red from the baby's face. Without the coating of blood, the boy was a pale little thing. Wu frowned and cleaned up around the child's nose before dipping the soiled cloth down to his mouth and gave a start. The babe's mouth had opened and now had not only the cloth in it's hold, but one of Wu's fingers as well.

Wu let out a shaky laugh and rushed to the women's side. "He's alive! He's sucking on my finger and he's alive." As though to prove it, the child's face scrunched up discontentedly.

The mother gave a weak smile as Wu handed her the baby. "So he is. Oh Lloyd- if you could see us now." The child whined when she took away the cloth. She quieted him with a teat and he dug in with gusto.

Misako and Wu shared a warm relieved smile over the happy pair. Once the baby was happily occupied, the woman's sac slipped out easily and the cord was cut with only a small amount of leakage. While it may not have been a conventional child birth, Wu was rather proud of his role in the young boy's new life.

* * *

"Sir? Young mistress Brianna wished to see you before your departure. You and your companion." The inn's maid explained after catching Wu by his arm as he tried to move along the next morning.

"Mistress Brianna?" Wu parroted, looking owlish with wide confused eyes.

The red head bobbed her head in agreement. "Yes, yes. The young woman who bedded next to you during the night. She sounded earnest sir."

Wu patted her arm reassuringly. "Oh yes, mistress Brianna. She seemed well this morning, I hope?" The maid nodded vehemently once more earning a smile from the older man. "Very well, I'll see to her now. If you see Misako, please send her up."

Wu climbed the stairs in a rush, hoping beyond hope the child was still in good health. He knocked at the young woman's door. "Miss Brianna? It's me-the man from last night."

"Please come in. I'm afraid my hands are a bit full at the moment." Wu did as he was told, instantly smiling as his eyes caught on the babe slumbering in his mother's arms. "I wanted to thank you sir." She explained looking oddly chagrined. "I'm afraid I don't have much to spare but if you'd like, please accept my husband's shaving kit as a token of my gratitude."

Wu blushed and threw his arms up as if to ward off an advance. "Oh no. I couldn't. There's nothing I could possibly accept from you other than your thanks."

"I heard you asked for me?" Wu sighed at his life long friend's voice behind him. Misako would know how to handle the girl. The older woman gasped and Wu glanced back at her frightened face. "My dear, are you alright?" Misako questioned worriedly.

Brianna smiled tiredly and Wu finally noticed her dull pallor. She was pale, even when compared to the baby in her arms. The young mother smiled though, "I'm just tired ma'am. It seems like ages have passed since I last rested." With the admission, the woman's glimmering green eyes slipped shut and her breathing slowed.

The older woman drew near to lay a palm across the slumbering girl's brow. "Wu, I think she's sick. She's searing hot."

Emerald eyes fluttered open as the baby boy began to cry. "Shush, we have company." She whispered to her son before turning to her two older companions. "I'm sorry, I've just been so very tired. I've never felt so tired." Tears slipped past her lashes to spill down her cheeks.

Misako laid her hand over Brianna's holding the babe up. She smiled, "And what is his name dear?" She asked quietly.

The young mother grinned through her tears. "I can't choose without his father. Lloyd said he'd be back. He never leaves me alone for long." Brianna's head lolled to the side and her son began crying louder.

Misako frowned and lifted the upset child from his mother's loose grasp to coo at him. "Hush little babe, everything's okay.

"Sleep through the night, until you see the light.

"No creeps to slither, down by the river.

"As long as we're together, everything's alright."

As she sang softly, Misako ran her fingers over the now quiet boy's head. The pair of travelers wrapped him up snugly and left the mother to sleep. Misako kept the boy firmly in her arms, trailing Wu everywhere he went as he readied their bags to leave.

When they went down to eat breakfast in the common room, the innkeeper caught Wu by the arm. "So, that's the girl's babe?" At the answering nod, the man sighed. "Mai said she's caught a fever. Said she was delirious this morning, expecting her beloved."

Wu frowned and responded, "Why, where is her husband?"

The innkeeper turned away, "She said he's been gone quite a while. When she arrived, she wasn't even certain he was the father. They'd been ransacked by a brigade some time ago. He... Didn't make it and her captors were... Insatiable." The man looked as though he might become sick at the thought. "She's been bedridden over a month now. I fear this babe will become the town's burden."

"No!" Misako's outburst disturbed the sleeping boy momentarily before he quieted down again. The graying woman moderated her tone as she absently rocked the child. "He is not going to grow up an orphan. I won't allow it." She whispered sharply.

The inkeeper glanced sideways at the resolute woman. "Sorry to disappoint your fine sensibilities madame but none around these parts would risk bringing a kid like that into their home. He could grow up to be just like his father and if he was one of those bandits-" His thin hair swayed as he shook his head bitterly.

"I'll take him." At first, Wu had thought Misako spoke up but he was shocked to see the woman staring at him as wide eyed as the innkeeper.

The round bellied man scoffed. "You have no idea what he's got in 'im. He could grow up to be just like his vagabond father. Just leave him, you'd be better off."

"No." This time it was Misako who spoke. "We'll take him. If Brianna-" She swallowed back her tears. "I know darkness, and there is no darkness within this child." Tears freely streamed down her trembling face as she stormed back up the stairs.

It was days later when the pair finally left that inn. Wu forced a smile as he handed over the rent and an envelope. He did not mind paying the ever increasing amounts to rent a room. It was the letter he had written that had been bothering him. The round bellied innkeeper gave him a terse nod and the older man released a breath he had not realized he was holding.

"Just make sure she gets it when she leaves." Wu requested around a sickening lump stuck in his throat. The man nodded again and the ninja made his way upstairs to see the girls.

He paused in the doorway, hearing Misako's caring voice as she stroked the other woman's hair. "Just keep your strength up dear. We'll see you again when you recover."

Brianna's tone was even weaker than it had been the past couple of days. It was clear the girl would not be recovering when she spoke. "And Lloyd's going with you? Where is he? Lloyd?"

The child made an annoyed sound and began to squirm in his mother's arms. Misako took him quickly and softly bounced him to calm his distress. "He's right here dear. I've got your man right here. Want to kiss him good bye?" She asked forlornly.

The sickly girl nodded with a dazed half smile and placed a gentle kiss to her son's head when he came into range. "I love you so much Lloyd. Soon, you'll see our beautiful son." Her eyes slipped shut as she drifted into another feverish dream. She looked so peaceful and Wu smoothed her light hair away from her face. It was too bad she could not tell her son from her husband now.

Misako looked as though she might cry when she nodded in resolve and lead Wu on their way with the babe safely in her grasp. Wu kept pace warily, unsure of how they would explain this to Garmadon.

* * *

"Sleep, sleep, slumber and dream.

Drift in the world of honey and cream.

Sleep, sleep, slumber and dream.

Fate brought you here in a marvelous scheme.

Sleep, sleep, slumber and dream.

Take me away to our secret stream."

Wu could fall asleep to Misako's beautiful words. Increasingly so, it seemed she missed Garmadon. She would mention him and things like their stream when she sang to the baby. Wu just hoped his brother would not be angry when he returned. He jumped when he heard his brother's warped voice.

"Sleep, sleep, slumber and dream.

The king has returned to an heir and his queen."

Garmadon was smiling down at Misako, his skin nearly as black as coal now. He reached for the babe with a soft expression Wu could remember on him when he was a child handling an injured animal. Misako handed the six month old over without a second thought. "Hello there little one, and who are you?" He whispered sounding oddly demonic despite his kind appearance.

Misako stood next to her husband, brushing long gray mottled lock of hair over her shoulder before stretching up to place a chaste kiss to his unshaven cheek. "He hasn't got a name Garmy. I wanted to see what you thought of the name I picked out before making the decision."

"His name will be Garmadon," The red eyed man announced with a stern nod.

Misako whispered, her words caressing the child's face as gingerly as her milky fingers. "I wanted to call him Lloyd." She looked as though she might cry and Wu understood. They had been waiting for the child's mother to arrive or send word for half a year.

Garmadon frowned down at the boy in his arms with a furrowed brow. "How about, Lloyd Garmadon? It has quite a ring to it. Almost like Lord Garmadon." The venom inflicted man laughed darkly as he carried Lloyd into the kitchen. "Misako- Wu- Why is there a goat eating our flour on the rug."

Wu winced. It looked like his brother had noticed Bella, the goat they had gotten to feed Lloyd. She certainly had a penchant for tearing apart the flour sack.

* * *

Lloyd bounced energetically on his goat's back and pulled on poor Bella's ears when he spotted the old man approaching the house. "Daddy! Daddy! Somebody's here to eat me!" He cried dramatically, making his uncle snort with good humor.

Garmadon rounded the corner of his house with a wicked saw propped on his pitch black shoulder and a scowl on his face before his eyes lighted on his younger brother. "Wu!" The shirtless man dropped his weapon and rushed to throw his powerful arms around his aging brother. Garmadon looked fantastic for a man over sixty. "How were the beasts old man?" The older brother asked tauntingly.

Wu shook his head as Lloyd stumbled over to hide behind his father's legs. He puffed out his mustaches in irritation at his nephew's odd behavior. "They've parted ways it seems." He crouched down to get a better look at the boy. It had to have been a year since he last saw any of them. "Come now Lloyd, you must know who I am."

"Yep!" The boy chirped cheerfully. "You're a canble!" He accused with a finger pointing straight at his uncle.

Garmadon gave a deep hearty laugh at that but Misako did not find it as funny. "We need to have a serious talk about what is an appropriate bed time story for our son." The woman reprimanded from the stoop of their porch. "It's good to see you Uncle Wu. Dinner's going to be on the table in fifteen. And Lloyd, be nice to Uncle Wu. You too Dad." With that, the woman turned on her heel and headed back into the house.

Wu had been summoned by his brother by letter. Garmadon wanted to go heal himself before he had a chance to corrupt his son and now that the boy was older, Misako would have trouble keeping up with him by herself. Three years olds were energetic as it turned out.

It was a tearful goodbye when Garmadon departed. The venom infected man acted odd when he had to leave but Wu could not put a finger to what was different. About a week after his disappearance, Wu was still pondering his brother's behavior late into the night.

"Uh- Uncle Wu?" A small voice called out from the foot of said man's bed.

Wu bolted upright, unused to children disturbing his rest. "What? What is it Lloyd?" He asked in a rush.

Lloyd reached up expectantly and Wu acquiesced by pulling the boy up onto the bed with him. "Uncle Wu, where do babies come from?" He asked so innocently.

Wu groaned and fell back on the bed. "I don't know! Maybe we can ask your mom in the morning." He surmised, throwing an arm over his face.

Lloyd tugged at his sleeve insistently. "But Uncle Wu!" The boy whined. "The kids in Jumukai said I was adopted! What's that mean?"

Wu lunged forward again, pulling the boy into his lap in the process. "They said what?" He asked, concealing his outrage.

Lloyd looked troubled. "They said I was adopted and that Mom and Dad don't love me. Is it true?"

Wu felt sick for deceiving the child but the words slipped out so naturally. "Lloyd, I saw you being born. Your parents love you very much. They would even if you were adopted."

"But what's it mean?"

"It means you have other parents that couldn't keep you. If you were adopted, it means your parents loved you so much they picked _you_ out of all the kids in the world to be theirs. I know that if your parents had a choice, they'd choose you every time." he nuzzled the blond's hair playfully. "I know I would."

Lloyd giggled at the tickles and hugged and kissed his uncle before settling into the man's bed. "I'd adopt you too Uncle Wu. You and Dad and Mom. Let's all adopt everybody!" Wu chuckled and kissed the boy's forehead before laying down beside the child. "Good night Uncle Wu. I love you." Lloyd whispered into the darkness. The boy fell asleep so quickly, his uncle was not sure his own good tidings were even heard.


	4. WuCole

Wu/Cole

And we are back to the G rated content. Cole is a little ragamuffin in this. I think it's kind of cute. This is how Wu might have begun collecting the elemental ninja.

* * *

Sometimes there is a bittersweet humor in how life turns out. The old man's lips tried to twitch into a smile but the expression fell short. Wu found so much in his life very serendipitous. It seemed that fate just knew where the man needed to be. He had not planned to visit Garmadon just in time to take Misako back to the monastery so the man could buy just a few more years without the poison taking him forever. He had not planned to be at his brother's house to help take care of his nephew those first few months. And he certainly had not expected to find anything worthwhile in a small village a couple dozen miles outside of Ninjago City.

The snow had been deep that winter. The whole landscape was eerily white with only the occasional flap of wings and chitter of distant birds to keep the elderly man company. Wu felt solitary in the frozen woods. He could feel the ache in his rusty limbs as surely as the limbs of the surrounding trees were weighted down by the heavy snow they had been collecting for weeks.

To say he was glad to see the village walls was an understatement. Wu knew this road had to lead somewhere after seeing so many farms and fields leading up to the quiet village. The view was quaint but it was precisely what the old traveler was looking for.

Just inside the short stone wall, Wu could see a group of village youths giggling and taunting another who was trying to chop frozen wood. The traveling man shook his head and puffed out his mustaches tiredly. As he ambled on, his deep eyes drifted toward the inn determinedly. The boy would learn in his own time without Wu's guidance. Surely his friends would help him before it became too late.

Wu paused on the porch of the town inn, savoring the moderate warmth that leaked from the cracking door frame. The weary old man shrugged off his thick traveling cloak from his slightly stooped shoulders and cast aside his burden to clasp the frozen brass handle. He bustled into the warm sitting room and dragged his baggage in behind him.

It was a comfortable homey place that smelled like baked pork and fresh bread. Everything was done up in deep rich burgundy and dark stained wood. A matronly woman with sparse dark hair smiled at him from a high backed stuffed chair pulled up near the crackling fireplace. She dog-eared her page and set her book aside as Wu approached her with a sigh of relief at the comforting heat.

"Evenin' sir. We have a new loaf due in the minute if you'd like ta fill up 'fore tuckin' in. Dinner is just a nin more if you rent a room for the night. Afraid we don't do drop ins so if your only in for an hour or two, food'll be five nin." She said with the sharp cadence and tone of a serial mother.

Wu smiled graciously. "Oh I wouldn't dream of going back out in that." He rubbed his arms for emphasis earning him another matronly gaze.

"Glad to hear it." She enthused warmly. "Rooms are fifty nin a night, fifteen more for another bed."

"That won't be necessary. One bed is more than enough for these old bones." Wu joked as he paid the woman his room and board up front.

She introduced herself as Mrs. Faralin before ushering him to a table and beginning to stuff him with homemade bread, vegetable broth, and pork cutlets in no time. Wu relaxed back in his chair as a young errand boy offered him another loaf of bread. It was good food but there was no way Wu could stomach another bite. When he waved off the lad's offer, the boy bounced to the owner squealing about how some city boy could not even get a decent split in a log.

"That's enough Harold." Mrs. Fara scolded. "Go get that poor boy in 'ere 'fore he catches his death."

A teenage boy chuckled at that from the doorway to the kitchen. "He says he's not gonna stop till he's done Ma." The lanky teen shook the snow off his winter coat much to his mother's dismay.

"Derek, you go get that boy NOW!" The innkeeper commanded tersely.

The teen groaned and trudged out obediently, only to return empty handed a few minutes later. "He says he's almost done Ma-"

"Bring that boy in _now_ or _you'll_ be the one doin all 'is chores." Mrs. Faralin threatened.

Wu stood hurriedly. "If I may?" The monk interjected. "Can your boys' bring my bags up to my room first? I can even fetch your other boy if you need him now." The traveler suggested, trying to smooth the woman's rocky mood.

The matron smiled tersely. "Don't worry yourself sir. They can handle it."

Wu grinned in passing. "It's no bother. I wanted to get some fresh air anyhow." He explained while hedging around Fara to the door. He escaped before the thin haired woman could get another word in edgewise.

Outside, the elderly traveler was instantly ambushed by the chilly air. Wu staggered out into the snow, quickly spotting the boy chopping wood by the fence even in the growing darkness. He approached silently, even in the crunchy snow, but the boy froze in anticipation anyway.

"I said I'll come in when I'm finished Donkey Boy." The axe wielder muttered bitterly as he continued his work, surely unable to see what he was doing in the failing light.

Wu listened to the boy pant and grunt with each of his strikes. "I don't have all night young man." The grey maned man announced.

The youth spun around wildly, with the axe poorly poised to attack. "What are you doing here?" He questioned defensively.

"Your mom wants you in boy."

"My mother?" The boy repeated. "Can't be- I don't have a mother."

Wu stepped closer, not concerned about how the boy seemed even more like a cornered animal when he moved. "You're from Ninjago proper, aren't you?"

"N-no." Dark eyes darted in the young man's face as he stuttered.

Wu sighed. This boy was too young to be on his own and he smelled as though he had not had a decent bath in a week. "Regardless, you won't be getting anything done if you chop your hand off because you can't see what you're doing." He scrutinized the pouting teen and snorted. "Tell you what, I'll chop and you carry the wood to the stack."

The dark boy huffed, "I don't need your help old man. Go chop your own wood."

"So be it, I'll just watch you lose a finger or two." Wu conceded.

The teenager growled and hefted the axe high above his head with all of the form of a toddler playing with daddy's tools. The axe came down swiftly with a thunk but no sound of a frozen log splitting.

"You missed," Wu pointed out quietly.

"I- kn-know," The boy called back, clearly affected by the cold now. He readied for another strike and brought it down more softly and this time he actually hit the log. Wu could not see it but he knew the axe was barely buried into the wood.

"Stop, stop." Wu forestalled the boy's next chop. "You'll never finish at this rate. Give me the axe."

"Fine! You think you can do better? Be my guest." The teen thrust the axe towards Wu gruffly.

The old traveler smiled as he took a hold of the offered tool. Wu wrenched the frozen wood from the blade and dropped it back onto the chopping block. In two swift movements, the experienced ninja quartered the log. He tossed the cuts to the lad without glancing back. "Here, bring these in." He ordered.

Wu waited until the snow crunching underfoot faded before grinning. The boy would be inside for the night in no time. "Ninja-go!" He called out, using spinjutsu to line up the logs more quickly before chopping them to a more manageable size. Wu finished with not even a drop of sweat on his brow. He gave a start when he noticed the boy standing close by, watching with dark focused eyes. "Well? Get to stacking." He said on his way back indoors.

As soon as Wu reinterred the warm sanctuary, he was bombarded by five kids who had apparently been spying trough the window. "Wow!" "That was incredible." "How'd you do that?" "Are you magic mister?" "Teach me to make a tornado!" The crowd of dark heads at varying heights resembled Faralin so much, Wu idly wondered if the woman even had a man's help making the swarm.

As if on cue, the house mistress silenced her pack of yipping pups. "Enough! Don't you bother the nice man now. Go wash up fer dinner- all of you." The gathering dispersed and the woman's brown eyes studied her guest closely. "So you're a spinjutsu master?" She inquired, knowing the answer as well as Wu himself.

"I hope it's not a bother Faralin." Wu said, stretching out his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"No one here cares about any of that. They're old legends, that's it. Stories." The dark featured woman stated skeptically. "What's that boy to ya anyways?" She finally asked after a long pause.

Wu shook his head. "The boy out there? Nothing, never met him. How'd he end up here?"

The woman turned her attention to watching the teenager through the window. He seemed determined as he moved the frozen logs under the stoop with probably no idea they would be nearly impossible to light after sitting in the snow so long. "His name's Cole. He just showed up, walkin' in on the road a couple a hours before you did. Didn't have a cent on him but needed a place to stay so he offered to do chores fer me. Must be from the city. He doesn't know a thing about getting his hands dirty. But he's a hard worker alright."

"So I noticed." Wu agreed. "Where's he headed?"

"Came in same way as you. Just runnin' away from the city I suppose."

"All there is is Mount Creation out that way." Wu pointed out.

Fara glanced at him inquisitively. "And what business do you have there he can't, old timer?"

Wu puffed out his mustaches. "I live in the monastery at the peak. This is just the journey home for me."

"Maybe he's makin' his way home too." The matron observed sagely.

Cole stepped into the warmth and shut the door tight before pulling off his snow covered coat and boots. "You said I can put these by the fire Mrs. Faralin?" He asked politely, pointedly ignoring Wu standing there.

"Yes Sweetie." The woman said warmly, suddenly sounding consoling rather than protective. "We have plenty of food waitin' in the kitchen for ya whenever you're ready."

Cole nodded, "I can bring it up to my room right?" The teen inquired with eyes that would wander towards the aforementioned food.

Fara frowned. "You can eat down here with the family if you want Sweetie." She offered, sounding concerned.

Cole's face scrunched up in distaste and Wu could not blame the lad. It did not seem the other kids were the friendliest bunch to the city boy. "Nah, I'm kind of tired. I'd rather just bring something up with me if that's okay with you."

The inkeeper's lips tightened momentarily while young piercing black eyes tried to see the food beyond the wall to the kitchen. Mrs. Faralin sighed. "Of course you can Cole." The boy made a move to the kitchen. "And on your way up, can you show this gentleman to his room too? It's right across from yours Sweetie."

Cole nodded and left to collect his supper. Once he was gone the matron turned to her other guest. "What'd he say to you out there?"

Wu looked out the window at the snow falling around the chopping block."Not much."

"About the same as you then."

"Wu." The traveler said.

"What?" She asked, puzzled.

"My name is Wu and I'm a spinjutsu master from Mount Creation. That is much more than a boy named Cole who has no mother."

Faralin snorted. "Has no mother? He told my girl he ran away and wasn't ever going back to his family." The door to the kitchen opened and the adults could hear children's boisterous laughter spilling out around an almost stoic Cole. "Goodnight Sweetie. Sleep tight and I'll see you in the mornin'"

Cole nodded to her and made his way upstairs silently. Wu followed the boy, noting how quiet his footfalls were and the peculiar shape of his leg muscles. The black eyed lad was the first child who had not been enchanted when seeing spinjutsu. Wu had to wonder where the teenager had been trained.

The boy abruptly stopped and deftly opened a door with his hands full with an overloaded plate of food and a mug. "That one there is yours." He pointed out with a jerk of his head.

Wu smiled. "Thank you lad." And the boy's door closed before another word could be uttered. "City folk." The ninja huffed. They were always an abrupt type.

* * *

Wu woke later than was usual for him with the sun halfway to its peak. He stretched as he made his way downstairs and spotted Mrs. Faralin curled up before the fire with her book again. "Good mornin' Wu." She greeted without so much as glancing up. The traveler looked around puzzled before she explained. "We only had two guests last night and the boy's already out and about."

"I see."

"There's fruit on the table and a loaf or two. Help yourself. The mornin' meal'll be in a couple of hours when the kids wake up." She droned on tiredly. It was evident she was not a morning person.

"Thank you Faralin." The older man replied, grabbing an orange and his coat and boots on his way out.

Wu drew up short when he caught sight of Cole without a coat, hacking away frustratedly at a log that was little more than splinters. A dark haired man shrugged at Wu and turned back to watch the boy some more. "I tried to show him how to do it but he doesn't listen. He tries for a minute or two then goes back to...that." The stout man made a broad gesture to what Cole was doing at the moment.

Wu peeled his orange as he approached the boy who was sweating even with his coat off. "Cole!" The older man called out over the loud thunks. "You want some?" He offered an orange slice to the teen. Now, in the sunlight, Wu could see the dark featured boy could not be any older than fourteen. He had a slight build and tanned skin, even in the heart of winter.

The black eyes were just as piercing during the day and it sent a peculiar rush through Wu like when he met a particularly powerful opponent on the battlefield. "Oh, it's _you_." Cole sneered grumpily. He sighed and dropped the axe off to the side before leaning tiredly against the chopping block.

"You should not allow part of a dead tree to distress you so." Wu pointed out getting a rather disbelieving look from the kid. "It's just wood. You have years to learn how to cut it. It isn't going anywhere. Have a piece of orange before _it's_ gone."

Cole sighed and pulled off a soiled glove to pluck a slice from Wu's hands. "Thanks." The fruit disappeared into a petulant mouth and the serious boy chewed it contemplatively as though trying to decipher what it was. "For last night too." He finally said after swallowing.

Wu sat next to him, noticing the other man was now gone. "It is good you practice when you can see but doing an unfamiliar task under the cover of darkness can be dangerous." The old man pointed out.

"You get that from a fortune cookie?" The boy asked, arching a thick brow and snatching another slice from the orange.

"Wisdom can come in many forms, young man." Wu stated sagely while trying to hide a small smile That kept tugging at his lips.

"And what wisdom do you plan on doting upon me, old man?" Cole grumbled.

"An axe with a dull blade is useless against the mighty tree."

Cole laughed and shook his head. "What does that have to do with anything?" He shouted to the sky.

Wu turned towards the troubled teenager and felt the weight of destiny settle around them. "Without proper preparation, no one can achieve their purpose."

Cole sprang up, looking annoyed. "That's it, no more fortune cookie riddles for you! Just talk sense from now on."

"That is the sense of how the world works, boy." Wu said flatly.

Cole held his gaze for a long moment before finally looking down at the thick layer of snow. "So what?" Was his mumbled reply.

"You must either return home or climb to the monastery at the peak of Mount Creation with me. Those are the only two paths out of this village." Wu spoke, knowing the boy would not fully understand.

Cole shrugged. "I could always just run off into the woods."

"If you continue to run- you may find yourself lost when you finally look up."

The focused dark eyes snapped back to Wu's again. "You think I know where I am right now?" The lad scoffed.

Wu shook his head with a sad smile. "I fear that may be why our paths have crossed."

"Why should I go anywhere with you?"

The snow drifted down peacefully around the two but Cole ignored the cold like an unmovable mountain. His will was strong like earth, keeping him hacking away late into the night. Even stone could be shaped with the right tools. "I will teach you to sharpen the axe and chop the wood so you may be prepared when you find your path."


End file.
